Yesterday Has Gone
by melancholyxdreams
Summary: 14 year old Alice Tessio gets into a sticky situation. What happens when the only one that can help her is the one she hates the most? Warnings: swearing, hitting.
1. Worst Enemy Faced

**June, 1960**

**The Chambers's kitchen.**

"All's I hear is Chris this and Chris that. He can bea _LAWYER_. He can be a _DOCTOR_.," he said in a sing-song voice. He ain't smart. He's got a smart mouth, but..."

"He's smarter than you'll ever be, I know that much," I yelled, and instantly regretted it.

WHAM. His heavy, meaty fist slammed into my face. The force threw me into the wall.

"No smart-ass kids talkin' back to me. That'll teach 'em to talk to me." He was walking further and further away, even if he was only going into the family room. I still might be able to make an escape

"I shoulda named him Pussy Willow," he muttered, sinking back into the worn couch. I was still crouched over by the fridge, my hands hunched up by my shoulders. I kept my one good eye on his. His eyes were now starting to close, and soon a loud snore escaped from his gaping mouth. The second that sound came out of his mouth, I hauled ass out the back, slamming the nearly unhinged screen door behind me.

I ran into a solid body only 5 seconds after that. And as realization came over me, at who I was toe-to-toe with, I screamed bloody murder. I didn't even care if that fat-ass on the couch heard me.

"Shut the fuck up, Alice! I ain't gonna touch you. What the hell's wrong?"

I stopped screaming, but I was breathing so hard I could hear my blood pounding in my ears.

"M-m-mr. Chambers," I said, stumbling over the words. Ace grabbed me by the elbow. "What the fuck did he do to you," he asked, looking directly in my eyes.

"N-n-nothing. H-he just scared the hell out of me," I mumbled, sniffling. My eyes were starting to well up. But there was no way I was going to cry in front of Ace. "Mmm, that's why your right eye is starting to look like a purple egg right about now," he said.

"Alice, why did he do this to you?"

After being Billy and Vern's sister, I'd seen how evil and scary he could be. I didn't wan't to believe Ace was being nice. I couldn't believe it. It was too dangerous to.

"I was...standing up for Chris. He kept making fun of him. I didn't like it. You know I'm friend's with him."

Ace's grey eyes clouded over at the mention of Chris Chambers. "Yeah, I know," he said gruffly. "Look, let's jet to my place and get some ice for that eye."

The idea of being alone in a house with Ace after being hit by Mr. Chambers made me feel cold all over.

"I, but, my house...".

"Your house is 10 minutes that way," he said, pointing down Mayberry Street. "My house is two minutes THAT way." He pointed around the corner from the record store.

I quickly looked around, hoping desperately for someone I knew, even Gordie, who would've run like the wind had he saw Ace. Seeing no one, I sighed dejectedly under my breath, and looked up at my only source of help.

Since I'd known him, I'd never seen him stand completely still, especially now. His left leg was jittering around madly like it was ready to take off into the sky, and his right hand held a bent cigarette that he was rolling over and over between his long dirty fingers.

"Look, I ain't gonna hurt you, if that's what you're thinkin'," he said, shrugging, the cigarette now dangling between his lips. His fingers were now frantically trying to get a flame to life from a matchstick he was scritching against the brick wall behind him.

"I can't trust you, you know that," I said, my voice rising. I was starting to panic again, wishing I hadn't left my asthma medicine thrown in with my workbooks on my desk back home.

"Well, you're just gonna have to, ain't ya. Got any better ideas before your head explodes?" He eyed me again, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

I mustered an ugly a look as I could, and shot it at him. He understood. "Good. Follow me."


	2. At Ace's House

Ace wrenched the front door of a small brown bungalow open, and almost shoved me inside. "DON'T touch me," I cried. "I don't NEED your fucking help." Ace gave me another once-over. "You need to stop hangin' around your brother and those pussy friends. You're getting a dirty mouth. You didn't talk like that when you were a kid." He stalked over to the kitchen, opened the yellow-stained fridge, and pulled out a bag of half-frozen peas. He dropped the bag in my hand. "Best we've got. Too fuckin' hot to keep ice frozen in here."

He sat at the kitchen table, put his feet up, and ground out his cigarette. "You better put that on your eye if you want to be able to see tomorrow, _Alice_." He said my name with slightly more menace than before, making me feel instantly scared again. In my mind's eye, I felt like I was back to being eight years old, watching him, Billy, and Chris's older brother, Eyeball, drinking in the backyard when our parents weren't home and throwing the bottles against the back wall when they were done. One from Ace would have hit me square in the head, had Chris not been behind me to yank me back inside.

I held the bag of peas to my eye, and immediately winced. "Oww, dammit. That really hurts," I groaned. Ace looked at me again. "I got a question to ask you. Why are you so fuckin' scared of me? I never did anything to you that I remember."

I rolled my eyes. "Not to me in particular, but my friends yeah. Remember when you beat the hell out of Gordie? Scared the crap out of Vern so many times I've lost count? Dunno what you did to Chris or Teddy, but I'm sure you and your friends did _something_." He was glaring at me now. I started backing slowly in the direction of the front door. Two narrow escapes in one day. Could I do it? I was sure I could if I had to. I didn't want to get into anything with him. But he did ask.

"Hard on your pussy friends, well, sometimes they deserve it," he muttered, letting his feet slide of the table into a thump on the linoleum floor. I gave him the once-over for the first time. "Yeah, well, _Spencer_, sometimes you deserve it." He shot out of his seat like someone lit a fire under his ass. In less than two seconds he was toe-to-toe with me again.

"Don't fucking call me that again, _Alice_," he whispered menacingly. "Got it?" I stared into his eyes for so long, they were starting to water. "Got it, Ace. Thanks for the peas." He was breathing hard, looking mean enough to kill someone, and I didn't' want it to be me. I was ready to jet.

"'Bye, _Alice_. You have a good afternoon, now."

"Oh, I will, thanks for EVERYTHING." My hand was on the doorknob. I turned it to the right with a snap of my wrist and stumbled out the door, slamming it behind me.

God, could this day get any worse? Where the hell were friends when you needed them, anyway? The bag of peas was starting to melt, making drips of water slide down my grimy face. I tossed it into some bushes beside the Merrill's house, and ran for it.


	3. Saving Alice

Thanks for the reviews, you guys. I really appreciate it. I suppose it could turn into an Ace romance, I don't know. I'm just letting the story take me where it wants. ;0)

(Can anyone tell me how to change it so I _can_ get anonymous reviews? I couldn't find that option. o.O)

Saving Alice

"Gordie's house, he's probably at Gordie's house," I said to myself over and over like a mantra. Two little old ladies across the street looked curiously at me, probably wondering why in the hell I was talking to myself, and why I looked like I ran into a bus. I flipped them the finger when they continued walking up the street. "Old hags better not go starting rumors about me," I muttered.

I kicked an empty Coke bottle down the dusty street, and turned the corner to Pine where Gordie's house was. I saw the familiar white clapboard house hidden behind large maple trees and I ran for the front door. I knocked on it frantically, praying to some unknown God that his parents weren't the ones to answer. Seconds later I heard feet pounding down the stairs. It was Gordie and Chris. I let out a huge breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"Alice! Hey. Come in. We...," Gordie's voice trailed off when he got a good look at my face. "Oh, my God. What the hell happened?" I followed my friends up the stairs to Gordie's room, where he closed the door behind him.

"I got into a... thing... with...," I started. They started guessing. "Billy? Eyeball? Ace," Gordie questioned, his eyes as big as half-dollars. He was probably thinking about last summer when he got the crap beat out of him. I was about to spill that it had been Chris's father, but I thought about it for a second. The moment Chris heard his Dad had anything to do with me getting hurt, he would've hightailed it to his house to take a swing at him. I didn't want to be the cause for Chris getting hurt. But who could I say did it?

"With...Jane Summers. You know. Biggest bitch in school. I guess I looked at her the wrong way, or something." I couldn't meet Gordie's eyes. He was trying to look at me. I knew he'd figured out right away I was lying, but I knew he wouldn't snitch on me. That's the kind of friend Gordie was. Chris chortled, slapping his knee. "I hope she looks just as bad!" I shrugged. "I got her in the stomach, but then she turned pussy and ran away." Chris clapped me on the shoulder. "You've been hanging with us guys for too long," he snickered. "Well, look guys, I gotta go home. I told Mom I'd look after the kids while she visits Aunt Mary." I felt scared again. I hoped Mr. Chambers would've forgoten what he'd done by the time Chris got to his house, or kept his fat mouth shut and not blabbed to him about it. Gordie caught my eye this time. I knew he'd make me stay, and tell him the truth.

"'Bye, Chris," I said, fake-punching him on the back. He grinned. "'Bye, Alice, Gordie." He shook his head, and said, "Jane fuckin' Summers. Man, that's boss."

When Gordie and I heard Chris slam the back door shut, and saw him out the window walking towards Hazel Street, Gordie got right to it. "Spill it, Alice. You didn't get into any fight with Jane Summers. For starters, she's in Portland right now." I groaned. Sometimes Gordie was too smart for his own good. "Shit, don't tell Chris, though, okay?" He sat down hard on his matress. "Depends on what it is."

"His dad, Gordie." His mouth dropped. "Fucking hell, Alice. What did you _do_?" Tears started welling up in my eyes again. "I stood up for him, Gordie. That's what I did. And that fat-ass almost whalloped me into next Christmas."

"Did you come here straight after," he breathed, eyes still huge. I knew I had to tell him about the Ace run-in. "No. Fucking Ace was almost right outside the house, and he "helped" me." Gordie looked confused. "Ace? Helped you?" "Yeah, "helped"," I said sarcastically. "There's a difference. He wasn't being a hero or anything. Just being his usual smart-ass self." Gordie was still strugling to piece together the words 'Ace' and 'help' together. "I... how... What did he do to help you?"

I had to laugh. "A fucking bag of frozen peas. Then he has the nerve to ask me why I'm so scared of him, and I told him. Then I got pissed and called him Spencer." Gordie almost choked. "You DIDN'T!" The small smile that had started to form froze on my lips. "Yeah, I did. He was about ready to beat the shit out of me too. Then I came here. Jesus, Gordie. I'm never going to be able to leave this house!"

He sighed, and ran his hand through his slicked back brown hair making it stand on end. "You can stay here for a bit. I'll call Vern and tell him where you are. Or do you want to call him?" I stood up. "I'll call him. I know he won't tell Mom and Dad. He'll say I'm sleeping over at Debbie's house." Gordie went over to his desk and picked up a comic. "I'll be right here," he said. "You can use the phone in the hall." So feeling like a spy in one of Gordie's comics, I tiptoed into the hall of the Lachance's house, and saw the black phone hanging next to a framed picture of Gordie's dead older brother, Denny. I quickly dialed my number. Billy answered.

"Yeah," he said in a bored-sounding voice. "Lemme speak to Vern, Billy," I said, with as much authority as I could. "Whatever," he mumbled. I heard the phone drop, and a loud "VERN, the fucking phone!". Several loud thumps later, and I heard Vern on the other end. "Who's 'is," he said quickly. "Vern, it's me. I'm calling to tell you I'm at Gordie's house and I'm not going to come home for a bit. Ace's going to knock my block off. Just tell Mom and Dad I'm staying at Debbie's house. Got it?" There was the scratching of Vern writing down my message. "At Debbie's house. Ok, Alice. Are you alright, though?" I had to smile. At least I got one sweet brother, even if he wasn't the brightest color crayon in the box. "I'll be OK, Vern. Just tell Mom about Debbie. Nothinge else. I'll figure something out," I said. "Sure. Don't let Gordie boss you around, huh?" I laughed. "I won't. 'Bye." "OK." Vern hung up.

I tiptoed back to Gordie's room, where he was sprawled on his bed, immersed in his comic. "It's all set. Mom's gonna think I'm at Deb's house." Gordie lowered his comic down. "You know you can't stay here forever, Alice. Ace is still going to be pissed at you when you're here or not. He doesn't forget." I sighed. "I know. But at least being here will give me time to think of a plan." Right after I said that, I saw a flash of a shadow by Gordie's window. It was Billy. He was searching quickly in the backyard, and not finding what he was looking for, he ran back around to the front of the house. I heard loud voices, pieces of conversation. "Sorry..." "Lookin' ... sister..." "...call you..." "...ma'am..."

"Shit," I breathed. "Ace's gonna know I'm here in about 5 minutes. Gordie, we gotta go somewhere else." He tossed his comic into his open closet. I thought for sure he'd say hell no, but there was a scared, yet determined look in his brown eyes. "Yeah, ok. Let's get together some stuff before my Mom figures anything out."


	4. Nowhere To Hide

Gordie grabbed me a backpack from the closet and told me to toss anything in it. I rummaged through his bureau and took out old t-shirts and socks, and packed the plaid blanket that was folded neatly at the end of his bed. "You're as skinny as me, so you can wear my t-shirts for awhile," he said, giving me a kind of funny smile. I wanted to bite back at the famous "skinny Alice" remark, but I didn't have the mental energy to do so. "Can't we sneak over to my house and...," I started.

Gordie took me by the shoulders. "Look. You got into a huge mess today. Not just one. But two. You need to lie low for a bit. You're going to..." I interrupted him. "The treehouse, I know, I know." I resigned to what was probably going to be meager living for a couple of days. That treehouse got so fucking hot sometimes you couldn't stand it, and I had to _live _up there for awhile. Shit, could things get any worse? Gordie kept giving me sad, tortured looks so often I wanted to hit him, but I couldn't 'cause he was helping me, you know? You don't get many friends like that.

"I'm gonna run down to the kitchen to get some food for you, okay," he said. "Okay. But no frozen peas," I said dryly. That almost got a laugh out of him. Almost, but not quite. I guess my situation wasn't that funny yet.

While waiting for Gordie, I stuffed a couple of his police and mystery comics into my pack, as well as some playing cards so I wouldn't be bored to tears. A shout suddenly tore through the heavy silence in the house. "_ALICE, RUN_!

"Oh, SHIT," I cried, grabbing the pack, and hightailing it down the stairs as fast as my skinny legs could take me. I tore out the front door pausing just long enough to see Ace grabbing Gordie by the collar of his shirt and lifting him a good several inches off the ground. Hell, I couldn't leave him there alone with that bastard. He was already terrified enough of him. I dropped my bag by the front door, turning resolutely and like a soldier ready to salute, I marched into the living room. Second fight that day. Man, was I boss or what?

"Leave him the fuck alone, Ace. It's me you want to talk to, remember? Hell, at least this way I don't have to hide out until you beat my ass. You can do it right now." Gordie let out a kind of scared, squeak, trying to get me to back off, but I couldn't. I was tired of Ace and his gang picking on my friends.

Ace had his fist pulled back, ready to whail on Gordie. Gordie had his head back as far away from the fist as possible without looking like a turtle with its' head in its' shell. "Get the fuck outta here, Lachance, before I change my mind." He dropped Gordie on the hardwood floor like a sac of potatoes and came after me. He grabbed me by my right arm and pulled me out the door. He was on a mission. A fucking psycho mission, but he was going to do it, and I knew it would hurt like a bitch.

I saw Gordie start to follow us, but I shouted, "Don't. He'll kill you Gordie.", and he shrank back, the determinded look that was strong in his eyes only a short while ago was completely snuffed out.

"Damn right I will," Ace growled. "Fucking kids being smart-asses. Chris's Pop was right. You are a pain in the ass. You deserve what you got earlier."

I tried to play the only card I thought I had. Stalling time. "Then why did you help me?" He threw me against the wall of the Lachance's shed in their driveway. Pain seared up my spine. I winced, but I didn't show him any emotion.

"What the fuck is this, '20 Questions'? I don't need to tell you anything. You're just like all the other girls in this town. Gotta know every damn thing." He kicked the wall behind me, making the barn shake.

"Well, if this is the way you treat "all those other girls", then I can see why you get so angry all the fucking time. You asked me earlier why I'm so scared of you. I'm going to ask you this question, why are you so goddamn mean?" Ace's mouth dropped. Either he was so mad that I had actually had the nerve to ask him that question, or I had actually made Ace fucking Merrill speechless. The only other person to have done that was Gordie and that was when he was about to shoot Ace's foot off.

His fist raised almost on it's own accord and I crouched back, knowing in two seconds it was going to slam into my other eye, when all was quiet except for Ace's heavy breathing and a quiet confession I'd never expect to hear.

"I don't know."


	5. Ace's Almost Confession

**I really appreciate all the reviews, guys. They're a great motivator. Thanks so much!**

**-melancholyXdreams

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Hearing Ace say he didn't know why he was so mean took me completely off guard. A minuscule amount of pity for the jittery bastard that was standing in front of me tore through me for a split second, then I remembered why I was tacked up against the Lachance's shed. Almost without thinking, I kicked my right knee upward, getting him smack dab in the crotch. Ace doubled over in pain, blurting out a ragged "Fuck!", and sank onto the driveway. I started to sprint away, but Ace was still smart enough not to let that happen. He grabbed me by the ankle, making me join him on the hard ground where I fell with a thud. He didn't let me go.

"Why the fuck did you do that," he growled, still holding my ankle which was starting to throb, and grabbing a fistful of my shirt much like he'd held Gordie only seconds before.

"Maybe because you were a second away from busting my face up, that's why. Let my ankle go!" I pushed against his chest in a feeble attempt to get away, but he was three times the size I was("Skinny Alice!"), and he could break my ankle like it was just a twig.

"No. You're gonna listen to me, _girl_. And if you go around squealin' to everyone what I'm gonna tell you, I'll deny it first, then kill you in your own fucking bed, hear me?"

I was breathing so hard, my lungs hurt, and they felt like they were about to explode. "Fine. Can you let go of my shirt, at least?" He glared at me, and I shivered. His grey eyes looked like storm clouds about to release torential downpour. Why the fuck did I have to go and ruin my life by making fun of Ace of all people?

"Sure. All better?" He patted my leg sardonically, while giving my ankle a small twist. I scowled. "Yeah, just boss." Then my big mouth had to go and take it to another level. "I think you like hurting people, fucking bastard. That's what I think."

I got my head slammed into the shed for that comment, and I felt a rivulet of warm blood trickle down the back of my neck. "Fuck," I groaned.

"Forget it, bitch. I ain't telling you nothing. Nothing happened here, and it ain't worth it. D'you hear me? This conversation never fucking happened." His nose was an inch away from mine, and the look in his eyes was getting more wild by the second. He looked like a caged tiger ready to kill his feader.

"You didn't tell me anything, _Ace_," I spat, holding the back of my head. He patted my leg again. "Good girl." He smirked, letting go of my ankle, and hopped back up. "Better get some frozen peas for that head. Don't want a worse injury, d'ya?"

He took out another cigarette, lit it, and blew a ring of smoke in my face. "Have a good afternoon, _Alice_." And he left me, sauntering off back in the direction of his house as if nothing had happened. When he was completely around the other side of the shed, I let out a loud, gasping breath, and vomited in a clump of rose bushes. Still holding my head, I ran back into Gordie's house. He was still on the floor, leaning against the wall that attached to the kitchen, staring out into the living room.

"Gordie. Snap out of it, man! Gordie!" I snapped my fingers in front of his eyes, slapped his right cheek as gently as I could. He shook his head, and focused his scared eyes on my scared green ones. "Alice, a-are you okay," he said quietly, casting his eyes down to the linoleum floor. "I'm such a pussy. I'm so sorry. I shoulda..." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, man. I'm alright. He didn't kill me, I'm still alive." Gordie eyes passed over my swollen ankle, up to my hand holding the back of my head. "What did he do to you," he asked, his voice getting higher. He grabbed my hand from my head. It was covered with blood. I hadn't realized how much it was actually bleeding. My stomach heaved dangerously, and I felt the room tilt. Black dots swarmed over my eyes. Two seconds later, I hit the floor.


	6. The Good Doctor

"Alice, are you okay?" Gordie's gentle but worried voice asked. I struggled to open my eyes. Two Gordie's flashed before my eyes, but I closed them tight, and opened them again. Now there was only one of him like there was supposed to be. "Damn, girl. You need to learn not to lie to your friends," said another voice, coming from behind me. It was Chris. He had a sort of scowl on his face, but his eyes told me he wasn't really mad.

"Sorry, Chris. I didn't want you to get hurt," I whispered. My throat felt like a dried-up well, and talking hurt. "Water, please," I croaked. Gordie rushed into the kitchen, and returned with a tall, green-mottled glass filled with icy water. I drank more than half of it the first go. "Thanks," I gasped, wiping my mouth with the back of my blood-encrusted hand. "Here's a wet towel for your head too," said Gordie, still looking worried. "I think we should go see Dr. Parker, Alice. You could have a concussion. You don't have to mention Ace. Please?"

I sighed. My head did hurt. And my ankle still hurt. It was probably sprained. That bastard. I knew Gordie wouldn't stop worrying about me unless I went to the doctor, so I agreed. Chris squeezed my shoulder in reassurance. "D'you need help up," Chris asked. I shook my head no, but as I tried to get up from the floor, the black dots swarmed in front of my eyes again. "Owwww," I groaned, squeezing tighter on the wet towel. "Yeah, I need help, guys." Chris hefted me up under my right arm, and Gordie, under my left. On the count of three, they hoisted me to my feet. I staggered forward a couple of inches, almost falling into the coffee table.

"You _definitely_ need a doctor," Chris confirmed. "You're really out of it." "I know," I said, grimacing. "Do you think I can make it down the street, guys?" Chris shot a look at Gordie. "We'll help you walk down the street, okay? You'll make it." Cold fear washed over me for the third time that day, making goose-pimples pock out all over my skinny arms. "What if Ace sees us," I asked fearfully. "I can't take anymore. I can't..." That's when I started blubbering like a baby, big heaving sobs that got me choked up, and tears that soaked my dirty t-shirt. Chris put his arm across my shoulder, and gave me a very gentle hug. "Hey, you'll be okay. If I can survive living with asshole's like Rich and my Dad, then you will too. We'll make sure you will." He rubbed my shoulder reassuringly, and Gordie gave me a smile for the first time since I'd come to his house that day. He handed me a tissue from the box on the coffee table, and I wiped off my face. "Thanks, guys."

"Ready," Chris asked me. "Ready," I said firmly, wanting to get this day over with at last. He gave me one last shoulder squeeze, then hoisted me under the arm once more. Gordie took his place on my other side, and with counting out the steps, "One step, two step, one step...," over and over, we eventually made it to Dr. Parker's office at the end of Mayberry Street. A trip that normally would've taken less than a five minute walk from Gordie's house, ended up being almost twenty. The longevity of it made me almost want to cry again. I had to heave a big sigh of relief when there was no sight of Ace nor his buddies in sight. Dr. Parker usually took emergencies, since the closest hospital was two hours away in Portland. And thank the Lord, because there was no way we could've made it out there unless we hitchhiked. And to that, I would've put my foot down, no matter how much it hurt, I wasn't _that_ crazy.

Gordie opened the door to the office, and the little bell at the top made the secretary know we were there. Norma Woodward, her nameplate read. She seemed annoyed that we had interrupted her crossword puzzle, but asked us how we were anyway.

"Can I help you kids," she asked. "Yeah, we need to see Dr. Parker. Our friend here was in an accident. She's lost quite a bit of blood, and we don't know if she has a concussion." Norma blinked at Chris, looking forever like a dense frog that had just missed out on its' dinner. I guess she wasn't expecting that long of an answer. Her mouth hung open for a moment, eyed me with my hand still clamped to the back of my head, and pressed the button on the intercom on her desk.

"Dr. Parker, there's a young lady here to see you. She may have substantial injuries." She let go of the button, and waited for his response. "Send 'em in," he said, pleasantly. Well, that was something. At least I didn't have to wait ages before the doctor could see me. "Right on in that way," Norma said, offhandedly, pointing to the oak door ten feet from her desk. She immediately went back to her crossword. "Thank you ever so much," I said sweetly, giving her the finger when her back was turned to us. Chris snorted under his breath. "Boss," he said, quietly, clapping me again on the shoulder. I gave him a quick grin, to show him it wasn't all bad.

Dr. Parker stood up to greet us. "Ms. Tessio," he exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in here since you fell out of that treehouse two years ago. What's happened today?" I rolled my eyes, but took the soggy towel from the back of my head. The doc's eyes went huge. "Oh, my. Well, we're gonna need to stitch that up." I groaned. If there was anything I hated, it was anything involving needles, or the sewing up of my own fucking head. "Any sign of concussion, boys," he asked Chris and Gordie. "Yeah. She passed out not even a half hour ago. Then she almost tripped over herself. So we're thinking she's, uh, well, not all there, Doctor." Chris gave me a huge, exaggerated wink, and I resisted the urge to give _him_ the finger.

"Well, let's get your head fixed up first, young lady. Hop up." Dr. Parker got out a First Aid kit from a top shelf, and pulled out a long needle and thread. I thought I would pass out again, but the good doctor got an ice-pack from the mini-fridge by the door. "Hold this too your head for a few minutes to numb the area. Then it won't hurt so much." I took it, and held it to my head, sure I looked like a dolt. Ten minutes later, my head was stiched up, and the doctor said I should be fine in the concussion area. He said if I had any more spots when I woke up the next morning, to see him immediately. My friends tried to give him the only money on them they had, which was five dollars, but he refused, telling them to "Just keep an eye on her."

We left the office, Norma not even looking up from her crossword, and headed back to Gordie's house. We weren't even three feet down the street when Ace and my older brother came out of Jake's Billiards. I swear to God, I pissed myself. Where the hell was a hole when you needed to drop in one and die?


	7. Ace's Transformation

**Sorry this chapter's a little short! I'm working on the next one right now. Hopefully it'll be longer.**

**--melancholyXdreams**

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"Hey, baby sister," Billy taunted, walking by and elbowing me in the ribs. I grimaced. I could take Billy's crap, but I didn't want anymore from Ace. So as long as I kept my mouth shut, I would be okay. At least, that's what I thought.

"Now, now, Billy. That's not the way to great your sister, is it, boys?" Ace grinned that same scary, evil grin that he gave me less than an hour before. "Like you would know," Chris interjected. I groaned. "Shut the fuck up, Chris. I don't have enough money to buy you a coffin, alright?" Ace gave Chris the once-over, and I had to wonder if he even remembered pulling a knife on the kid just last year. I admitted to myself thatChris had balls not to even run away at that moment. Gordie wasn't doing so good, however. He was doing a shaky kind of dance, trying to stay as close to me as possible, and keeping the greatest distance between him and the two older boys.

Ace clapped the side of Chris's face non-too-gently. A quick whistle escaped from Chris's clenched teeth that sounded like a teapot about to go off. "What'd you think? I'm gonna hurt you just 'cause you were talking back to me?", Ace asked, that crazy grin getting wider. "Nah, I just need to talk to Alice. _Alone_." Gordie and Chris exchanged worried looks. Even Billy seemed a little less menacing, especially after he noticed the big bandage on my head, and my swollen eye(why would I tell him it wasn't Ace that had given me the shiner? He didn't need to know, did he?).

I looked defiantly back at Ace, and then at Chris and Gordie. "It's okay, guys," I said, my voice cracking. "No," Chris started to say, but Gordie grabbed his arm, and whispered something urgently in his ear. Chris's face relaxed a little, but he still looked nervous.

"Are you sure, Alice?", he asked, looking right into my eyes. He must've seen the determined look in mine, because he became visibly relaxed, and let out a deep breath. "Alright. We're gonna head over to see Vern. If you need us," he emphasized, more for Ace and Billy's benifit, who were leaning against the brick wall of Jake's, arms crossed, looking like tough twin bouncers at a bar.

"Kay," I said, ready to get on with things. Ace rubbed his hands together, the smile on his face getting more gleeful by the second. "Beat it, guys," he growled. The hair at the base of my neck stood on end. He threw a look at my brother. "You too, Billy." Billy's mouth dropped open. "Ace, man. Come on. What're you gonna do?"

"None of your fucking business," he said, pushing Billy's chest roughly. "Get lost, Billy." Billy now looked as nervous as Chris had. He seemed to be regretting his situation at the moment. It was nice to know that my brother wasn't a complete asshole, even if he was going to turn pussy on me when I really needed him."Alright, man. Chill." Billy put his hands up in defeat, threw me one last pathetic look, and took off down the street in the direction of our house.

The gleeful look almost instantly left Ace's face. In fact, his entire face seemed to have softened. No hard lines, no turned down eyebrows, no perpetual scowl, no wild-eyed stare. His face was still. I was almost fascinated by the complete transformation. So this is what Ace Merrill looked like when he wasn't on a rampage.

"Come on," he said. He didn't even sound like himself anymore; not the least bit threatening. But I still hesitated. I mean, this was _Ace_ we were talking about. He would trip an old lady down the street on purpose, and laugh about it later.

"I just wanna show you something. And I can get you some Asprin for your head. For that ankle too." He looked down at my sore foot. The corner of his mouth twitched. Was I about to set myself up for the biggest fall of all-time? I squared my shoulders, as if ready to go into battle, and looked up at his eyes that were clear of any clouds.

"Okay," I said, and I followed him.


	8. The Big Question

"D'you want one?", he asked, when we were at his house in the kitchen. Hedangled a frosty bottle of Coors beer in front of me. I shook my head. "I don't drink." That nasty glint appeared in his eyes for a split second, then disappeared. He was probably just about to say something nasty, but didn't. I was still so wary as to why Ace wasn't beating the hell out of me right now. I definitely smelled a rat. He moved from the fridge, and hopped up onto the counter to reach the highest cupboard. I wondered what he was looking for in there. Was there an extra gun hidden behind a bag of flour? I shuddered at the thought and kept my eye on the open back door. 

"Y'don't drink, y'don't smoke, I know that, what the fuck do you do?", he said, rummaging in the cupboard. I narrowed my eyes, thankful he couldn't see me. "I read. I hang around with those guys you call pussies..."

"Mmmm." He was still searching for something in the cupboard, and didn't respond to my answer. "Here ya go." He hopped off the counter, and tossed me a bottle. What do you know? It was the promised Tylenol. No gun in sight. I unscrewed the cap, and poured three into my hand. Ace raised his eyebrow. "Don't take too many of those," he warned. "You'll go goofy." I shrugged. "At least it'll stop hurting." I gave him a pointed look, and he took the hint. He handed me his half-drunk bottle. "To swallow the pills down. You don't want to choke, d'ya?" This time he gave me a pointed look. I rolled my eyes, put the chalky pills in my mouth, and took a swig of beer. It tasted like muddy water sliding down the back of my throat. Making a face, I handed it back to him. "Ugh. How can you drink that stuff? It tastes like shit." He shrugged. "Fuck do I know? Gives me something to do, don't it?"

I stopped short of laughing. "You're serious? You just drink for 'something to do'? You don't even like the stuff?" He put the bottle on the table, and leaned forward, just enough so I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Yeah. Gotta problem with that?" I shook my head. "No way, man. You can drink whatever the hell you want. Just asking." His clunky black boots were toe-to-toe with my dirty tennis sneakers. "Well, here's a thought. Don't ask." I sighed. "If I ask you something right now, will you swear not to...to..." He eyeballed me. "Beat the shit outta you?" "Yeah," I said, playing with the top of the Tylenol bottle.

He nodded my way. "Go 'head. But believe me when I say, I'll let you know when you've gone too far." "Don't I know it," I said, and sat up straighter in my chair. The Tylenol was starting to kick in, probably giving me more confidence that I had than before I'd taken it. "Why did you do this to me," I asked, pointing to my head, and almost immediately cringed, praying that Ace wouldn't slug me again.

He took the last swig of beer, and tossed it into the garbage tin that was next to the door. Two points for Ace; it went straight in. "You wanna know why," he asked. He gave me a wary look, as if almost afraid I'd go running to tell Chris, Gordie, and Vern what he was about to tell me. "Y'know I don't even got no father here, right? It's just me and Ma." He stood up for a second, and then sat back down heavily. He seemed more nervous than a cat about to be attacked by a bulldog. "I didn't know that, Ace," I said quietly. "Is your father... is he...," I couldn't bring myself to say the word. I knew he'd pound me.

"He ain't dead," he growled, making the hair on my neck stand up again. "The bastard fucking left. When I was..." Ace stopped. He looked at me. "Why the fuck am I telling you this, anyway," he muttered. He went back over to the fridge, yanked open the door, and grabbed another Coors.

"And him leaving made you so pissed off, that you beat up everything that walks," I concluded, still cringing. Ace's mouth dropped open, more than likely about to deny what I'd said, but what he did say shocked me. "Yeah. I guess that's fucking why." He finished more than half of his second beer in the first go, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "So what, are you gonna tell your pussy friends on me, now? Or even Billy and Charlie?" I was sort of surprised that even his cronies didn't know this about him. "You mean, I'm the first person you've told? No one else knows?"

He gave me an angry stare. "Yes. Everyone else in this fuckin' town thinks the bastard's dead, and I like it that way. So don't go thinkin' you're Queen Bee just 'cause I told you my soap story." He threw his empty bottle into the sink, where it crashed into a million tiny pieces.

"I won't. I-I'm kind of glad you told me, though," I said. I stood up from my chair. "Thanks for the Tylenol, Ace. I think I'm gonna head back home. Is that okay?" He stood by the sink, staring out the window above it, completely lost in thought. "Okay," I said, and quietly left out the back door.


	9. Cleaning Up

**There's only 3 more chapters left of the story, guys! I have all the chapters all mapped out, and they'll probably be up here pretty soon. I had a lot of fun writing this story. Thanks again, everyone, for the kind reviews you've given me. hugs**

**--melancholyXdreams**

* * *

I made it back to my house on Sterling Court about 10 minutes later. It seemed pretty quiet; I wondered if the guys were even there anymore. Pushing open the front door, I ran over to the mirror in the hallway, and gave myself the once-over. Damn, I was filthy. My brown hair hung in dirty strings, some sticking to my face, and there were scratches all over my legs.

I didn't feel like taking a bath, so I went into the kitchen, grabbed some Sunlight, stuck my head under the tap(being careful not to touch my stiches), and gave my hair a thorough cleaning. After shaking my hair out in a dish towel, I grabbed for the First Aid kit under the sink, got the rubbing alcohol and some cotton balls, and dabbed them over the cuts on my legs. After what I'd gone through that day, thhe stinging pain from the alcohol was almost nothing. I put everything back, and heard a commotion on the stairs.

"Alice," Vern shouted, running over to me. He grabbed me by the wrist, and looked me over. "God, you look horrible. Sincerely."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Vern." Vern leaned in to give me a quick hug. "No, really, I mean, are you okay? Gordie and Chris told me what happened."

"Yeah, I'm okay. I feel so much better now that I washed my hair, and Ace gave me some Tylenol." You would not believe how quiet the room got just then. The only sounds were the buzzing of the bare lightbulb above the kitchen table and Teddy breathing next to me.

He was the first to speak up. "Ace. Gave you Tylenol? What the fuck, Alice? The guys told me what happened too, so why the fuck would he _help_ you after that?" I shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is he did. So let's leave it at that, okay?"

Vern eyeballed me. "Okay, but can I also ask you why Billy came running in here about 10 minutes ago, and actually asked me if you were alright? Billy never asks us that. What gives, huh?"

I had six pairs of eyes on me, and they were making me extremely uncomfortable. The longer they stared at me, the more I wanted to tell them what Ace told me. But that could never happen. Not in this lifetime. "Look, guys. It's nothing. Maybe Billy just really wanted to see if I was okay." Vern grunted. "Sure. And this's the same Billy that stuck my head in the toilet on Monday?" I ignored him.

"Hey, it's cooler out, guys. Let's go to the treehouse and relax. Play some cards," I suggested. I got six shoulders shrugging in return, and another grunt from Vern. "I'll be right back," I said. "I want to get my backpack." The others were still giving each other pointed looks, and Teddy looked like he really wanted to say something, but knew he'd regret it if he did. Chris stared him down, and he clamped his mouth shut, but not before saying, "Eat me, Chambers."

I grabbed my pack from my hurricane-mess of a room, stuffing in some extra comics, and as an after-thought, my inhaler from my desk just in case of any more run-in's with, well, anybody. I pounded back down the stairs, and asked everyone, "Should we bring snacks?", to which Gordie answered, "I've got crackers, and Coke," while pointing to his own pack.

Less than five minutes later, we were at the treehouse. I sat by the opening, dangling my legs over the edge, reading a mystery comic. I was so into it, I didn't even notice that the sun was starting to go down, and the breeze was considerably cooler. I rubbed the goosebumps from my legs, and went back to the story. Vern interrupted a minute later. "Guys, I think there's someone down there!" Teddy leaped up, dropped his cards, and looked out the window opening closest to him. "Shit, he's right," he said, his voice trembling just the slightest bit. "D'you think it's Ace?"

That made me drop my comic, where it went fluttering down to the ground like an abandoned baby bird. I started to scramble back into the safety of the treehouse, when I heard my name being called. It was Ace. I saw his shadow leaning against the next tree closest to us.

"God, man. What does he want with us," Vern whined. I sucker-punched him in the shoulder. "Two for flinching," I growled. "Shut up, okay?" Gordie moved over to sit next to me. "Are you gonna go down, Alice?", he asked, grabbing me by the wrist. I thought a moment, and looked back out to Ace's shadow, where there was now a bright light from a cigarette glowing in front of his face, giving him an eerie look. "Yeah, I am." Vern whimpered again. "Shut up!", I said. He shut up. Chris grinned at me. "Go ahead. We'll be up here if you need us." I looked over at Teddy, who had lost interest, and was shuffling his pack of cards like a madman. Vern was still crouched in the corner, afraid to even have Ace know he was up there. I shook my head. "Maybe Ace is right," I said under my breath, hoisting myself out of the treehouse. "Buncha pussies."

I jumped off the last foot, and my feet hit the ground with a thud. My ankle throbbed angrily, but I ignored it. Ace turned my way, blowing a ring of smoke that flew over my head. "What d'you want?", I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "I've said all I needed to say to you today." He leaned in, the glow from the cigarette made his eyes look golden brown instead of grey. "Well, I haven't," he said, his voice gone gravely from the smoke. I was on the defense again, ready to make a run for it, if I needed to. "Say it, then," I said. He thought a moment, then shook his head. "Forget it," he grumbled. He tossed his cigarette onto the patchy grass, ground it with his heal, and stalked off, giving me the finger over his shoulder.

"Boys!", I said, my voice dripping with disgust. And without saying goodbye to my friends, I walked opposite the way Ace had left and went home.


	10. Chris's Hard Time

**Only one more real chapter left, guys! Chapter 12 is just kind of an epilogue, and I've already written it. It's pretty short. But anyway, everything's going to be all sorted out in the next chapter, so it might be a bit long. Hope you guys have enjoyed reading it, I've really enjoyed writing it!**

**--melancholyXdreams**

* * *

Two weeks after the treehouse incident, the guys and I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Ace and his buddies. Even Billy had become unusually compliant at home, and hadn't laid a hand on me or Vern since I'd gotten my head hurt by Ace. Mom and Dad didn't' think anything of this different behaviour, but then again, my parents never really noticed much, which was usually why Billy got away with his shit in the first place.

On a Friday afternoon, when it was so hot, you felt like you were gonna choke, Vern, Gordie, Teddy and I headed to Chris's to see if he wanted to go swimming at the river with us. It was going to be a long walk, but the end result would be worth it. We walked up the dusty side street to Chris's house, kicking up rocks and sipping from our Coke bottles. I put mine up to my forehead to give me a quick cool-me-down.

Heaving a big sigh, I said, "Seriously, guys, I think it's hotter this summer. And we all remember how hot THAT was!" They all nodded fervently. Out of all of us, Teddy seemed the most miserable. "This hair," he grumbled, taking a swip at his heavy bowl-cut mop. "And these glasses," he said, pushing them back up on his nose that was slippery with sweat. I gave him a sideways grin, and he gave me a quick punch on the shoulder.

I pulled my messy hair into a ponytail, and let me tell you, it felt so instantly good not to have hot, sweaty hair on my neck. We eventually came up to the Chambers's house, and his younger brothers and sister were playing quietly("Too quietly," I thought.)on the front lawn.

"Hey, guys. Where's Chris," I called out. Little Deobrah gave her big brothers a scared glance. I got a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I saw my friends give each other looks that told me they were afraid too.

The middle boy, Emery, said in his soft voice, "Ma went to visit Aunt Mary, and Chris was suppos' to watch us, but...," he trailed off, and looked towards the small shabby house that those kids called home. "When was the last time you saw him," I asked, the fear inside growing every second. There was something very wrong about this whole situation.

"Chris gave us lunch about an hour ago, then we went to Johnny's house, and we just got back," Emery recited. "You haven't gone inside," I said, rushing for the front door. I also noticed that Mr. Chambers's old Ford truck wasn't in the gravel driveway.

"Oh, shit!", I shouted. "Chris!" I threw open the door, where it fell of the hinges with a shriek, and bounded up the stairs to Chris room like a scared deer. His door was open, and the room was pitch dark, but for a bit of faint sunlight entering the window from the backyard.

I saw him. He was beside his small cot of a bed, crumpled in a heap under the window. I immediately started crying. "Chris! "Oh, God. Chris," I sobbed, running over to him and flipping him over on his back. My tears started falling thicker and faster, landing on Chris's dirty white t-shirt. His face looked like mashed hamburger, and there was a bloody gash on his right arm. I sat down hard on the floor, frozen in shock, not knowing what to do except hold my unconcious friend's head in my lap. Gordie took over, feeling for Chris's pulse. "He's still breathing!", he announced. "Vern, go call Dr. Parker's for an ambulance. We gotta get him fixed up, and get him to the hospital."

Three days later, the guys and I were finally allowed to visit Chris in the hospital up in Portland. Gordie's mom drove us all up in her Corvette, insisting the whole way that Chris was going to be just fine. It seemed like she was trying to reassure herself more than us. I guessed this accident brought back memories of the previous year when Gordie's older brother died. I gave Mrs. LaChance a quick squeeze on the shoulder from my spot in the front seat, and she gave me a watery-eyed smile in return.

Portland General was huge. My friends and I weren't used to such a large amount of people around at once, so we huddled together in a tight group while Gordie's mom told the receptionist who we wanted to visit.

"He's down this hall," she said, ushering us all like a mother hen. "Room 128." I was scared to see what he looked like. "Gordie!", I whispered frantically. "He's gotta look better than when we found him, right? I mean, he looked really bad." Gordie shivered, remembering, then said, "Of course, Alice. The doctor's would've put bandages and stuff on him to help his face and cuts." I sighed. "Poor Chris. I want to kill that bastard for doing this to him." Gordie eyed me. "Now we don't know it was his dad that did this." My voice grew louder. "Oh, come on LaChance. Who else would've?" He shrugged, and followed his mom into Chris's room.


	11. Ace's Redemption

Chapter 11: 

Ace's Redemption

We all walked into the room single file. My eyes instantly went to the bed against the furthest wall. None of us could see anything; it was almost pitch black. Mrs. LaChance pulled up the blinds. I blinked as milky-white light streamed into the room. Now I could see him. I almost tip-toed over to Chris's bed, when the other boys stood huddled in a group by the bathroom, not quite sure what to do. There was a man shadowed by curtains on the other side of Chris, and he let out a loud galumphing snore making Vern jump.

"Oh, God," I whispered. His head was propped up by two pillows, and lolled over onto his right shoulder. Gordie had been right about the bandages. There were strips of gauze covering his face so only his eyes, mouth, and nose showed. His arm that had been cut had an IV needle sticking out from the wrist. His skin looked very white. My heart going out to him, I touched him ever-so-gently on the arm that wasn't sore. His blue eyes flickered open.

"Alice," he wheezed, and then coughed. Teddy stepped forward from the huddle. "Me too, man." Chris lifted his head carefully. "Hey, Teddy," he said in a low voice. I grabbed for the glass of juice that was on his night table, half-empty. "Here, drink this," I ordered. "Then you can talk." Chris finished off the juice in one gulp and I put the glass back. "How are you," I asked softly. He looked me right in the eyes. "I'll live," he said, the corners of his mouth raising in a smirk. It was all I could do not to punch him in the shoulder.

"I gotta tell you guys something. But you gotta promise not to say this to anyone." Chris gave a quick look to Mrs. LaChance. She got the hint, and exited quietly. "I'm going to get coffee. I'll be back in ten minutes."

"Tell us what," Vern asked, stepping closer to Chris's bed. Gordie was sticking close to Vern, as if scared to leave his side. He probably didn't want to be in here at all, knowing the last time he was, someone close to him had died.

"Hold your horses, Vern," Chris said, pushing himself in an upright position. "Okay. Guess who came to visit me yesterday?" We all looked at each other, and shook our heads. "Ace fucking Merrill. Can you believe it?" Gordie started choking, and Teddy thumped him on the back to make him stop. "Ace," Gordie croaked, giving Teddy the evil-eye, and rubbing his back. "What the fuck did he come here for? Did he slam on you in the _hospital_? Jesus, man."

"Nope. He talked to me. Just talked. Then he walked out, and I felt like all was right with the world." I looked at Chris more closely, and touched my hand to his forehead. "D'you have a temperature, or something? Should I get the nurse?" He waved my hand away. "Naw, Alice. Seriously. The stuff he told me made me see him in a different way. And I think you guys should too."

"But," Vern started. "But what did he tell you? Come on, man, you can't just leave it at that! Sincerely!" Chris sighed, but looked apologetic. "Sorry, guys. I promised him I wouldn't tell him the big stuff that he told me. I think he's changed a little, but if I told everyone, I'd be right back in here, for sure. You understand?" We all nodded, but I'm sure each of us, especially me and Gordie, were having a hard time believing Ace might have 'changed' or had an 'epiphany'.

Chris changed the subject. He wanted to know if anything boss had happened while he'd been out, skirting over his accident at home. I wanted to talk to him about that, but I'd decided to wait until he got back home. We told him the happenings over the past couple of days(which wasn't much, but now looking back, Ace and Billy had decidedly been out of the picture.).

Mrs. LaChance came back into the room, and announced it was time to leave. She patted Chris on the head like a puppy dog, and said, "We'll see you soon, Christopher." He winked at me, and I had to smile. At least he was okay. And he seeemd more at peace with things than he had in a long time. "See you, guys," he said. Vern, Teddy, and Gordie all grunted a goodbye, and I waved to him. We all left the same way we came in; single file, following Mrs. LaChance.

It was now July 1st, Independence Day. Fireworks and barbecues and sprinklers turned on to run through. Even though the guys would think it highly nerdy to wear a red t-shirt with white stripes and blue shorts, I did anyway. I even skipped out onto the front lawn; a move that was so girly, Teddy pretened to faint. I swatted at him. I had been in a pretty good mood. Things were slowly, but surely changing in Castle Rock, and for the better.

In the past two weeks, Chris had gone back home to find his dad had left. His mom had thrown divorce papers in his face; told him to get the hell out, and never come back. Chris still had a horrible black eye, but even that was starting to fade. He told me how free he felt now that "The bastard was finally gone." I'd given him a big hug, and told him, "It can only go up from here, Chris. I think it's starting to change for all of us."

My friends and I walked with our parents, and half of Castle Rock to Grove Field where the fireworks were going to go off. I felt so good about everything that I grabbed who was closest to me(happend to be Teddy), and gave him a big smooch on the cheek. "Euck! What the hell's wrong with you, Tessio," he hollered, wiping off his cheek. I laughed. "Nothing, Teddy. I'm great, thanks for asking." Gordie snickered, but kept a good two feet distance from me and him, making sure I wouldn't kiss him next.

When we got to Grove Field, the half of the town that hadn't been walking with us were already there. Blankets were strewn about, polka-dotting the sunburnt grass, and kids were running around, squirting water guns at each other.

Gordie found a spot closest to where the fireworks were usually let off. "Here's a great spot," he said. Our parents were still gossiping with each other, stopping only to sit down on the quilt. We passed around food from the picnic basket and ate our fill.

It was slowly starting to get dark. Twilight was always my favourite time of day; when the fireflies and grasshoppers made their apperance, and the sun turned blood red on the horizon. I was so inthralled by the sunset, that I didn't notice a shadow standing next to me. It was Ace. He crouched down so he was at my level.

"D'you want to come and sit over with me," he asked. "It's just me, no Billy, or Charlie, or...," he stopped, and for the first time ever, looked embarrassed.

I looked around at everybody. They hadn't even noticed Ace's presence. I'm sure they wouldn't even miss me if I sat somewhere else. That was when I officially decided to give Ace another chance. I knew he wasn't going to beat up on me. He just wanted company. And I could give him that.

"Sure," I said, hopping up from the blanket. Ace looked surprised, but the look passed quickly; still deep down trying to look tough, and he led me to where he had his own blanket and basket set up. "I was kind of hoping I'd have someone to sit down with tonight," he said, handing me a plate. He sat down next to me, tucking his long legs underneath him.

"Well, you have somebody," I said quietly, meaning what I said in more ways than one. He gave me that surprised look again, his grey eyes going dark. "I've never had anybody," he mumbled. Not believing my ears that he'd confessed that, I repeated what I'd just said, "You do now." And before I could change my mind, I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, much less sloppy than the one Teddy'd recieved earlier.

"Thanks, Alice," he said, his entire face relaxing. He squeezed me next to him at the exact moment the first firecracker went off, and I knew that I'd remember that sound for the rest of my life.


	12. Epilogue

**This is it, guys! The story's over. I hope you guys like the ending, and aren't disappointed. I appreciate you guys even reading my story. That means more to me than you even know. Take care.**

**--melancholyXdreams**

* * *

**EPILOGUE:**

Ace and I stayed in Castle Rock. We were going to move to Portland, but decided not to when I got a full-time teaching position at the high school. Ace is head foreman at the lumber yard. Almost five years to the day we got married, I had a baby girl. We named her Laura Elizabeth after both her grandmothers. They still live in Castle Rock, and we vist them often.

The last time I connected up with anyone of our gang was Gordie. He came for a visit when Laura had just turned six. Over a cup of coffee, he told me Teddy had died in a car accident, and I told him Vern died in a house fire. Chris was doing just fine, taking law classes right alongside Gordie. After that visit, I never saw Gordie again. We finally drifted apart. I found out later from the Porland paper that Chris had died in an accident at restaurant. I shed a lot of tears for him, my lost best friend. I had to wonder if his bastard of a father had cared when he heard.

After that, Ace and I led a quiet, but happy life. He never again touched a bottle of beer, nor raised his hand or voice to either Laura or me. He was settled, I think, closing the doors of his past that had made him so angry. But Laura and I were his present and future, and we made him happy.

**THE END**


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